CenterEdge Software Blog

New resources for FEC managers to learn more about personnel, inventory management, Advantage Groups, point of sale, web store, and reporting functionality in your CenterEdge system. 

As you hire or promote new managers to lead your FEC or amusement park, they will need a deeper understanding of your facility management tools to help you operate more effectively. 

That’s why CenterEdge is rolling out a new, four-part manager training series to give new managers comprehensive training of the key software functionality. Each session will last for one hour. 

The series is free for all CenterEdge clients with an active Licensing and Service Agreement (LSA) or a current support agreement. Read on for an overview of what the sessions will cover, and then register for our upcoming event series.

Thoughtful program planning and strategic rollout can make all the difference. 

Now that you’ve heard about some of the key benefits, new CenterEdge tools, and a success story, you’re probably ready to think about setting up a membership program for yourself. 

Today’s interview with CenterEdge client, Zach Johnson of Rev’d Up Fun, will give you terrific insights to help you decide if building a membership program is right for you. 

As we discussed in Part One of this blog series, membership programs could have the potential to bring in a brand new revenue stream for your facility. But do they actually work?

We decided the best way to illustrate program benefits would be to let a CenterEdge operator like you share his results. 

Rev’d Up Fun is a 30,000 square foot state-of-the-art family entertainment center in Woodhaven, Michigan. This family-owned and operated venue features multiple attraction offerings, including Ballocity, axe throwing, laser tag, a ropes course, an XD Dark Ride, bumper cars, and a game zone, as well as a full-service food and beverage offering. 

We sat down with Zach Johnson, Owner, and asked him to share his experience with membership programs and his plans to make memberships a key component of Rev’d Up Fun’s offering.

Having the right questions to ask a prospective credit card processor can help you choose a vendor with your best interests in mind. 

Credit cards likely represent a considerable part of your operating expenses. And just like your facility management system touches every guest and every dollar that enters your facility, your merchant services program can significantly impact your operational efficiency, profitability, and even your guest experience. However, many operators dread searching for a merchant services provider. Why? Because we all know a merchant (or have been one!) who has been duped and taken advantage of by slick salespeople and companies who don’t have their clients’ best interests at heart.

But your credit card processing program is too important to your business to avoid taking the time to consider your options. Knowing the right questions to ask can help you make an informed decision and find a partner you can trust. Here are seven questions to help you make the best decision for your business. 

Consider whether the time is right to dig in to your current merchant services program. 

As a savvy operator, you have a lot of vendor relationships to manage. You have to work with food service, party supply, merchandise, and redemption vendors to analyze inventory usage routinely, forecast future needs, test new products, and examine how well they, and your attractions and programs, are working. Those urgent and important needs don’t leave time for much else. But, it makes sense to review other relationships from time to time, such as making sure that you maximize your CenterEdge partnership by keeping up with the many tools* and training resources available to you. 

Your credit card processing program is another critical partnership that should be reviewed periodically. Read on for five reasons that evaluating this program should be much higher on your to-do list. 

Find out the assumptions that keep your FEC overpaying for merchant services. 

There are many misconceptions regarding merchant services that can cost your business significantly every month and year. But understanding all the ins and outs of credit card processing could be considered a full-time job. That’s why we’re introducing this three-part blog series to help you get to the root of the costs, which types of fees you have control over, how often you should be evaluating your program, and the most important considerations to scrutinize when you decide to dig in. 

Let’s start by tackling the three biggest assumptions about credit card processing that can cost operators like you a lot of money - and what you can do about it. 

Learn how to retire and disable items, discounts, areas, and event types to navigate your system more efficiently.  

As you begin year-end planning, take this opportunity to set up your system more efficiently to save time and effort both in the office and at the front line.

Watch today’s Pro Tip from our CenterEdge Training team to learn how to simplify your CenterEdge Advantage screens and apps by retiring or disabling outdated offerings, discounts, areas, event types, and more.

We're sharing new tools to help your facility recover and thrive. 

We were recently asked to partner with the AttractionPros and other industry suppliers to offer messages and advice for amusement facilities during these challenging times. We are proud to say that nearly 30 companies have come together to share how they have navigated these times, continued to support our industry, and to offer unique messages to help build motivation. In addition, you also have free access to a new guide: Suppliers Speak: Attractions Industry Providers Share their Messages, full of articles to help your business thrive now and in the future. Read on for more information and to download your free guide today. 

The secret to solid cash control is culture, processes, accountability, and oversight. 

Fraud prevention can be a scary topic because no one wants to believe team members could steal from their employer. But you can't leave prevention up to chance. To set your business up for solid cash control, we've updated this important post to give you everything you need to take the fear out of fraud prevention.

Get ready for a more successful holiday gift card sales season this year. 

Today’s CenterEdge Pro Tip offers five steps to help you implement a better gift card sales season. Follow these quick tips to get started today.